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| Sunday, August 12 Updated: August 13, 10:52 PM ET Cowboys hope weapons to steal bowl bid By Todd Cooper Special to ESPN.com |
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Oklahoma State Cowboys 2000 record: 3-8 (1-7). Coach: Les Miles (first year). Starters returning: 8 offense, 7 defense, punter. Outlook: Are the Cowboys as good as last year's last game -- a heartbreaking 12-7 loss to Oklahoma? Or are they as bad as last year's 3-8 record? Miles hopes it's the former. After all, the Cowboys will depend on the same guys that alternately gave fans upset hopes and upset stomachs last year. The Cowboys' new coach is hardly new to Stillwater. As offensive coordinator, Miles helped lead Oklahoma State to the 1997 Alamo Bowl. And Miles thinks the Cowboys can go bowling against this year. Quarterback Aso Pogi and tailback Tatum Bell should be explosive behind a line that has three NFL prospects. The receiving corps is full of big-play threats but OSU must prove that it can improve on its 95th ranking in scoring last year. Linebacker Dwayne Levels, a headhunter who had a team-high 16 tackles and two vomits in a loss to Missouri last year, will lead a defense with a new 4-2-5 formation. The new formation should help a porous secondary avoid finishing 84th against the pass, as it did last year. Keep an eye on: Quarterback Aso Pogi. The throwin' Samoan broke assistant head coach Mike Gundy's freshman record with 1,550 yards on 56 percent passing last year. But Pogi needs to ensure he doesn't duplicate his touchdown-to-interception ratio of last year. He threw for six touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Key game: at Texas A&M, Sept. 22. The Cowboys will have a tough time winning at College Station but their performance will demonstrate whether they're ready to compete in the Big 12 South. It's a good year if... Pogi doesn't get hurt -- OSU has no experienced backups -- and the Cowboys win half their games at home. Miles believes a winning season is within reach but he'll probably have to settle for 5-6 at best. Todd Cooper is a staff writer for the Omaha World-Herald. |
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